McConville’s

Tradition comes with time. McConville’s has been situated on the corner of the main street in Portadown, County Armagh, since at least the 1800s. That’s the “authentic pub” box ticked, then. Still inside are the original wooden snugs (private seating areas), moulded ceilings and etched windows.

It's said that some of the Russian oak fixtures in the bar were replicated from a design on Titanic. Doesn’t sound too tall a tale considering the ship was built just over the mountains in Belfast.

If you notice a little button at your table, then you’re one of the lucky ones. In a flush of invention, buttons were added to the sung tables. When pressed, the bell informed staff that your glass was empty.

If you do go to the bar, you’ll find a round, well-dressed chap on the counter breathing fire. Don’t be alarmed – he’s just a cigar lighter that’s said to be Sir Roger Tichborne, the ninth richest man in Britain who disappeared in 1854.

Still, he wouldn’t be the first unusual character found in an Irish pub.